Contents

Anatomy of a Soul

Ordinary Souls

Souls are spiritual beings whose bodies are composed of Reishi. They are contained within a physical body until the moment of death, at which point they separate.[1] Human souls are the most common types of souls seen and generally retain the appearance of their physical bodies in life. However, souls do have unique additions to their anatomy:

Chain of Fate (因果の鎖, Inga no Kusari): All souls have a metaphysical chain attached to their chest over where their hearts would be. Ordinarily, this chain tethers them to their living bodies. However, it severs when they die. In some circumstances, the Chain of Fate can become tethered to a location or person important to the deceased spirit, preventing them from moving on.[1] If a soul is separated from their body prematurely, they will experience both fierce pain and the desire to break the chain.[2] After death, the Chain of Fate will slowly erode, creating a hole in the soul's chest. If this process endures until the entire chain is faded, the soul will become a Hollow.[3]

Shinigami Souls

Shinigami souls have a slightly different anatomy than ordinary souls. For one, they are not bound by a Chain of Fate. Instead, Shinigami possess the following anatomy:

Binding Chain (鎖結, Saketsu; Viz "Saketsu Chain"): Though they no longer have a Chain of Fate, Shinigami possess an organ in its place that acts as a booster for their spiritual power.[4]

Soul Sleep (魄睡, Hakusei; Viz "Hakusei Soul Sleep"): A Shinigami organ that acts as the source of their spiritual power.[4][5]

Severing these organs can result in the permanent loss of Shinigami powers and spiritual energy.[4]

Types of Souls

Artificial Souls (義魂, Gikon; Viz "Substitute Souls") are, as the name implies, artificially created souls used to assist a Shinigami in their duty.[6] One such type is a Modified Soul, or Mod Soul for short, which are artificial souls used by Shinigami to fight Hollows using corpses. Kon is the last known Mod Soul.[7]

Earthbound Spirit (地縛霊, Jibakurei; Viz "Jibaku Spirits"): A Plus in the process of becoming a Hollow. Their Chain of Fate is usually tied to a location. They have the screams and Reiatsu of Hollows.[8]

Hollow (虚 (ホロウ), Horō): A soul that has lost its heart due to the erosion of its Chain of Fate. Hollows are distinguishable by the holes in their chests and the mask on their faces. They eat humans.[1]

Arrancar (破面 (アランカル), arankaru; Spanish for "To Tear Off", Japanese for "Ripped Mask"): Hollows who have undergone Shinigamification—the process of ripping off their masks—to obtain a Shinigami's power.[9]

Plus (整 (プラス), Purasu; Viz "Whole"): The soul of a human that has died. They appear in the Material World as ghosts.[1]

Possessive Spirit (憑き霊, Tsukirei; Viz "Tsuki Spirits"): Like an Earthbound Spirit, a Possessive Spirit is a human soul in the process of becoming a Hollow. Unlike the former, its Chain of Fate is attached to another person.[8]